"Man Overboard" — The Rescue of "Billy" Joy During a Gale

Capt. Benjamin Whitford Joy Last Nantucket man to Command a square-rigged ship.

Captain William P. Joy

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THE LAST of the old squaic-rigger shipmasters of Nantucket was Captain Benjamin Whitford Joy, who was a familiar figure at the Pacific Club within a few days of his passing some four decades ago. One of his favorite stories might have been expected to be of his experience in the China Sea, when his ship, the Richard Parsons, was caught in a typhoon and lost, and he barely escaped death by clinging to a spar and was washed ashore on one of the Philippine Islands. But, instead, he liked to tell of the time when his older brother, Captain William P. Joy, was saved in midocean after falling overboard from a topsail yard at night during a gale.

"It was a miracle," declared Captain Joy. "Even under ordinary conditions in broad daylight he would have been lucky to have been picked up — but at night, during a howling gale in mid-ocean, all I can say is that his time hadn't come."

Both Whitford Joy (as he was always called) and his brother William P. Joy became shipmasters. Native-born Nantucketers, sons of Captain Samuel Joy, they had grown up in the tradition of the sea. While still boys they had lost their father, who died at sea, and when still in their early teens both had signed on merchant ships as cabin boys. Whaling had ended in Nantucket and they had decided on the merchant service.

Nearly sixty years ago, S. J. Nevins, one of the staff of the Boston Globe, interviewed an old sailor who was visiting that city. He was a native Nantucketer, as was Mr. Nevins, and his name was Fred D. Hull. During their talk Mr. Hull gave a first-hand account of the rescue of "Billy" Joy and Nevins made a careful record of the story, just as the old sailor told it.

"It was late in August, 1869," said Mr. Hull, "that I sailed from New York as an able seaman aboard the clipper ship Surprise, a crack ship bound for Hong Kong under Captain Charles A. Ranlett. We had a full cargo of coal, kerosene and general merchandise, consigned to an American firm at Hong Kong and Shanghai.In our crew of 26 we had a little fellow, barely sixteen years old, named Billy Joy, who was from my old home town — Nantucket. Just before leaving home his mother, who was the widow of Captain Samuel Joy, sort of left him in my care.

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"On the run south, which was uneventful, Billy became very popular. He was as smart as a cricket, and everybody loved him. He had been warned by the mate never to go aloft at night, but would steal away up the lee rigging to lend a hand when all hands were called. There were no lazy bones in Billy's makeup.

"We sailed into the South Atlantic as far as 47 degrees south, rounding well below the Cape of Good Hope, in order to strike the favorable winds in the Indian Ocean. We had a good run well into that Ocean, when one night the weather apparently settled for a bad storm. Captain Ranlett remained on deck until the middle watch, midnight, when he ordered in all the light sails.

"Royals, t'gallants, outer jibs and topmast staysails were stowed. Shortly after the mate ordered the mizzen upper topsail reefed. The weather was getting worse as the night wore on. I went aloft and was the first man on the topsail yard and made my way out to the end, while the second mate stood in the bunt.

"Then, in the darkness, I thought I recognized Billy coming out on the fo6t.-rope. As I looked, sure enough, it was the boy, second man from me inboard, and second man out from the second mate. 'Twas blowing up there and every man was holding on for all he knew how. In the midst of the violent flapping of the sail I suddenly saw something go past me like a flash.

" 'Man Overboard!' yelled the second mate, his voice loud enough to be heard above the gale by those on deck. 'Man overboard!' he shouted again.

"You may imagine my feelings. Clinging to the yard I looked along the back of the man next to me inboard and saw that Billy was gone. He had been hit by the heavy canvas and knocked off the yard — falling down into the black sea.

"Captain Ranlett had come on deck when the order tc cf the topsail had been given. 'Who is it?' he called. At that moment, Billy came to the surface of the waves just under the ship's quarter to leeward. His voice came back like an echo: 'It's Joy, sir!' With eternity close at hand he did not forget to put in the word 'sir.'

" 'Down from aloft!' called Captain Ranlett. 'All hands, stand by to wear ship!'

"MAN OVERBOARD"

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"While the men aloft quickly made their way down to the deck, the watch below came rushing up from the forecastle, joining the watch on deck. All hands were eager to lend all possible aid in the crisis. The wheel was put hard down, and the big clipper ship fell off, with the men at their stations bringing the vessel around in the procedure known as 'wearing ship.

"The first mate produced a huge flashing lantern, which he held over the starboard quarter. Then, above the roar of the gale in the rigging and the breaking seas we heard a whistle. Every one of us rushed to the weather rail. To our astonishment we saw the flash of the lantern pick up little Billy, on the crest of a wave, actually swimming hand-over-hand toward us.

" 'Back the main yard!' bellowed the captain. All hands leaped to the braces, but as the order was obeyed the big ship had too much headway to check herself, and we saw Billy once again in the flash as we passed by him — and, as we felt, for the last time.

" 'Poor lad, he's gone,' muttered Captain Ranlett; and then quickly called: 'Brace around the main yard — we'll wear ship again!'

"We worked as hard and as feverishly as before, but none of us believed little Billy had a chance. The Captain sent the mate forward to the topgallant forecastle, with orders to listen for that familiar whistle of Billy's — and once it was heard, to sing out. The ship obeyed her helm perfectly as the yard was braced around. We stood by at the rail, our hearts sad with the realization that our shipmate was never going to be seen again.

" 'Off the starboard bow, sir!' called the mate.

"Once more the men raced to brace the yards around. The ship shuddered with the terrific strain, but her masts and spars held. She had been virtually stopped in twice her own length. The mate's sharp eyes spotted something and he called out. The flash of the lantern lighted up the crested seas — and there was Billy, swimming towards us.

" 'Hold on — hold on!' shouted Captain Ranlett, waving his arms.

"We were all virtually paralyzed by the excitement, and as the ship surged Billy seemed to be swept by the waves towards us. Just as he ap-

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peared to grab the lines thrown to him, the seas swelled and he was being carried astern again. But, at that moment, a Greek sailor with a line around his waist, jumped over the rail. As we watched we saw Billy being snatched from a cresting wave by the brave foremast hand.

"It seemed as if everyone had the line pulling the two to the rail. I am sure that when we lifted them over the rail to the deck all of us — one after the other — hugged them both. When Billy saw me he had a big grin on his face, and as I grabbed him he merely said: 'Hello, Fred.'

"I took him to his bunk and rubbed him down, and tucked him in. The next day he was carefully examined and all he showed was a large bruise under one arm. He had fallen 60 feet from the yard, and heard the mate call: 'Man overboard!' when he came to the surface of the sea. As he went astern of the ship he stripped off his jacket and pants, determined to stay afloat as long as possible. He had been in the water some 50 minutes when we rescued him. Believe me, Billy is one shipmate I will never forget."

Not only did William P. Joy make another voyage on the Surprise but within a few years he won several promotions, eventually being given a first mate's berth on the ship St. Nicholas, of New York, under the command of Captain Phineas Pendleton, a native of Searsport, Maine. On board the same ship, serving as second officer, was another Nantucket man, Joseph G. Remsen — who was also Mr. Joy's brother-in-law. It was Remsen who reported the fact that on this voyage, while bound to Liverpool, Mate Joy jumped into the sea to save the life of a boy who had tumbled overboard. A life-ring was thrown out and Joy caught it with one hand while holding the boy up with the other. While this was going on the ship was hove to, a lifeboat lowered and the two were rescued. Upon arrival in Liverpool Mate Joy was presented a medal by the British Shipwreck and Humane Society.

On the next voyage, William P. Joy took command of the St. Nicholas, taking the ship around Cape Horn to San Francisco. It was on this voyage that the British ship Lenox was sighted on fire during a raging snow storm. Captain Joy brought his ship up to the stricken vessel, lowered his boats and rescued the captain and crew. In recognition for this feat Captain Joy was presented a handsome silver tea service by the Royal Service command of Queen Victoria.

It was on this third voyage in command of the St. Nicholas that

"MAN OVERBOARD"

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Captain William P. Joy reached Hong Kong and was taken ill with Asiatic cholera. He died within two days of being stricken, being then in his 32nd year. He was the youngest shipmaster in the port at that time, and in command of the largest ship. All the vessels in Hong Kong harbor at the time lowered their flags out of respect during the burial services.

At this time Captain Joy's brother, B. Whitford Joy, was the ship's first mate, and was temporarily placed in command. Due to his youth, however, he was replaced by a Captain Crocker, and the ship went to Japan for a return cargo to New York. At this time Whitford Joy left the St. Nicholas to become first mate of the ship Richard Parsons, and became her master on her next voyage. It was while on a voyage from Sydney, Australia, to Manila that the Parsons was caught in a typhoon and wrecked on one of the Philippine Islands. The mate of the ship and six of the crew were drowned, but Captain Joy clung to a broken spar and was washed ashore. With him was young William Remsen, also of Nantucket, son of Joseph G. Remsen, who had served under Captain William P. Joy and his brother.

Captain B. Whitford Joy and young Remsen, after much hardship, made their way to Manila where, as good fortune would have it, they found the ship Lucille at anchor under Captain John P. Conway, of Nantucket, who had served also on the St. Nicholas as second officer. They returned to New York on the Lucille. Captain Whitford Joy resumed his seafaring career as a shipmaster, and young Remsen entered the U.S. Lighthouse tender service, rising to full command. Joseph G. Remsen, the father, upon coming ashore entered the Lighthouse service and was Keeper of Sankaty Lighthouse for many years after some months aboard the South Shoals Lightship. Keeper Remsen retired in 1919, after 35 years in the government service.

The courage and sacrifice of the master mariners of Nantucket have had no finer examples than the careers of both Captain William P. Joy and Captain B. Whitford Joy, together with the reputations established by such men as Captain John Conway and Captain William Remsen. While whaling gave us an extraordinary list of shipmasters, those who commanded vessels in the merchant service have their own share in establishing Nantucket's maritime traditions.

E.A. Stackpole